Lightning topples 100-foot flagpole at Toyota of Braintree

A lightning strike during the intense Sunday morning rainstorm toppled the 100-foot flagpole at the Toyota dealership in Braintree. Musician Kenny Black of Weymouth saw the lightning strike and the flagpole come down as he drove north on Route 3.

By Sue Scheible

The Enterprise, Brockton, MA

By Sue Scheible

Posted Sep. 1, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 1, 2013 at 1:15 AM

By Sue Scheible

Posted Sep. 1, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 1, 2013 at 1:15 AM

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Country musician Kenny Black of Weymouth watched the lightning bolt come out of the sky Sunday morning as he drove north on Route 3.

With growing amazement, he saw it hit the top of the iconic 100-foot flagpole at Toyota of Braintree, by the Union Street rotary. He watched as the flagpole rose up in the air, exploded in flames and then toppled to the ground with its large American flag.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was like something out of a Vietnam movies,” Black said moments later. He stood in the dealership parking area by what was left standing, just the sleeve of the flagpole, near the large pole section that lay on the ground among trees, close to Route 3.

No one was injured in the event.

“I saw this big, huge, gigantic bolt of lightning come out of the sky, hit the top of that flagpole,” he said. “The smoke bellowed through the flag and it popped up off the ground and started to collapse, the huge flag and pole.”

The flagpole has been easily visible to thousands of travelers every day along Route 3. It was struck by lightning shortly before 11 a.m.

“We were always a little nervous when we have the big flag up there and it’s windy, but we never thought it would get hit by lightning,” said David Tufankjiancq of Duxbury. His family ownes the dealership and he had driven to the scene with his son, David, from his Duxbury home when he got the call.

“I was amazed to see the sleeve is open at the end,” Tufankjian said. “Part of the pole shot out like a cannon and went through one of our doors.”

No one was injured but easily could have been, witnesses said. The huge pole snapped and shot through the air in an instant.

The pole has been in place for five years and made it through other windier storms, but the force of the lightning strike proved too much.

Tufankjian said the pole will be replaced. The flag was recovered by Black, who performs for veterans groups and stood beside the felled pole, guarding the flag, until others arrived at the scene.

Tufankjian said the pole and flag cost “ thousands and thousands of dollars.” Cranes were e used to install it and their is a large cement footing.

“The American flag is part of out tag line here,” Tufankjian said. “We always advertise and say, ‘Look for the high flying American flag,’ so it will be back.”

Trees bordering the property parking area probably blocked the flagpole from landing out on Route 3, he said. The flagpole lay on the ground among the trees.